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H1 OWJ

1991 Lotus Elan

Silver Petrol 1588cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires11 Sep 2026
Tests17 (12 pass, 5 fail)
Pass rate70.6%

Mileage

78,224 mi
Last recorded78,224 miles
Recorded on12 Sep 2025
Typical for 1991 Lotus Elan80,091 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Lotus
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationH1 OWJ
MakeLotus
ModelElan
Year1991
ColourSilver
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,588cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

12 pass 5 fail
Pass 12 Sep 2025 78,224 miles
Pass 8 Aug 2024 78,159 miles

Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Front and rear suspension/ sub-frame corroded

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Headlamp reflector slightly defective main beam (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly twisted (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Offside rear tyre 3mm and stepped on inner tread

Pass 24 Aug 2022 78,147 miles

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (6.1.2 (a))

Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Front and rear suspension/ sub-frames corroded

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Headlamp reflector slightly defective main beam (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Brake hose slightly twisted (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge on 2mm (5.2.3 (e))

Parking brake only just met limits

Pass 8 Jun 2021 78,125 miles

Front Play in steering rack inner joint(s) both ()

Front suspension component's rusty

Nearside Front Brake hose slightly deteriorated just started to crack (1.1.12 (b) (ii))

Offside Front Headlamp reflector slightly defective main beam light unit (4.1.1 (b) (i))

Offside Rear Inner Brake hose slightly twisted (1.1.12 (b) (i))

Rear Coil spring corroded both (5.3.1 (b) (i))

Rear suspension component's rusty

Pass 18 Jun 2019 77,941 miles
Pass 6 Jun 2018 77,607 miles
Fail 6 Jun 2018 77,607 miles

Horn not working (7.7 (a) (ii))

Pass 22 Jul 2016 77,512 miles

Nearside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Pass 23 Apr 2015 77,288 miles

general underside corrosion

Pass 21 Jul 2011 77,114 miles

Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

UNDER CAR HASW SURFACE RUST

Fail 1 Jul 2011 77,109 miles

Nearside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a)

Offside rear brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.5a)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

general corrosion on all suspension components

Fail 29 Jun 2011 77,104 miles

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Side repeater not working (1.4.A.2c)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Centre Rear Brake pipe leaking (3.6.A.1) DANGEROUS

general corrosion on all suspension components

Pass 28 Aug 2009 77,012 miles
Fail 27 Aug 2009 77,012 miles

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Nearside Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Rear brake disc in such a condition that it is seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 25 Feb 2008 76,136 miles
Pass 22 Feb 2007 75,734 miles

front & rear suspensions corroded

general vehicle corrosion starting

rear brake discs corroded

rear brake pipes corroded

suspect leak from radiator

Fail 5 Feb 2007 75,730 miles

Brake valve leaking (3.6.A.1)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3.B.1a)

Horn not working (1.6.2a)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

general underbody corrosion

slight fluctuation on nearside front brake

suspect coolant leak at radiator?

How Reliable is the Lotus Elan?

Based on 51,097 MOT tests across 4,280 vehicles.

77.4%
Pass Rate
554
Miles/Year
59
Year Lifespan
4,280
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 2,585
brake recording little or no effort 1,342
parking brake recording little or no effort 1,318
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid 927
brake binding 845
Full Lotus Elan reliability report

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H1 OWJ is a 1991 Lotus Elan in Silver with a 1,588cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 17 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 70.6%.

Across all 1991 Lotus Elan models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.1% with a typical mileage of 80,091 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Lotus Elan fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 2,585 recorded failures. If you're considering buying H1 OWJ, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Lotus Elan typically stays on UK roads for around 59 years. At 35 years old, this Lotus Elan is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of H1 OWJ?

You can check the full history of H1 OWJ by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was H1 OWJ registered?

H1 OWJ is a 1991 Lotus Elan, first registered on 18 March 1991.

Is H1 OWJ safe to buy?

The MOT history for H1 OWJ shows 17 tests with a 70.6% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does H1 OWJ have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on H1 OWJ. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.